Domestic violence occurs at the same rate in LGBT relationships as heterosexual relationships, but many people in LGBT relationships never make it to domestic violence agencies.
'It's estimated that 25 percent to one-third of all relationships, regardless of the gender of the victim, regardless of whether it's a heterosexual or non-heterosexual relationship to have elements of domestic violence, elements of abuse,' said Shayna Plaut of the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network.
The Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network offered a training, 'Domestic Violence Outside of the Heterosexual Framework,' Oct. 11, in hopes of helping those who work with domestic violence to increase their skills when working with LGBT survivors. Since outreach is generally done in a heterosexual and gendered context, many LGBT domestic violence survivors are isolated and underserved.
Through the training and resources, Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network hopes to dispel the myths that only straight women are abused; the abuser is bigger, stronger or butch; and that the law does not protect LGBT domestic violence survivors.
People of all races, gender identities, sexual orientations, classes, religions and ages can abuse or be abused. Those in LGBT relationships are no exception. The abuser does not have to be more masculine or stronger, and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act protects same-sex partners and transgender partners and roommates.
The Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network is a collaborative membership organization that improves the lives of those impacted by domestic violence through advocacy, networking, education and public awareness.
Although the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network has had a committee on LGBT issues for quite some time, Plaut said that the organization needs to sensitize those working with non-heterosexual clients and bring more awareness that LGBT domestic violence occurs. 'And then we realized that many of these survivors of domestic violence are not going to DV organizations at all,' she added. 'What's happening is they were going to their massage therapist, they were going to a psychologist, they were going to … talk to their lawyer, they were going to a social group or community group and it wasn't even getting through the door of a domestic violence organization.'
After finding out this fact, the organization went to where LGBT survivors were going, from chiropractors to houses of worship. Using the Out! Guide [ published online by Windy City Times ] as a source, they asked around to see where victims were turning, and if people knew where to refer them for help. They found a lot of unfamiliarity with the law, welcoming shelters and basic safety with handling domestic violence situations. 'It wasn't that they were misinformed, they just didn't know,' said Plaut. 'They were like, 'Wow, there's domestic violence within queer relationships?''
Angie Blumel, women's crisis coordinator at Sarah's Inn, said although many domestic violence resources are available in the LGBT community, not everyone knows about them. In her work, she asked victims how they were received, and how their case was handled. Responses vary, but the most common response is, 'I didn't know it was domestic violence.'
Second, a lot of LGBT folks think Sarah's Inn is an agency for heterosexual women, Blumel said. 'DV occurs in LGBT relationships the same rate as heterosexual relationships, but we're not seeing that here,' she said. 'The number [ of LGBT victims coming to Sarah's Inn for help ] is too low.'
Even those who work within the field may not necessarily know how to handle domestic violence within LGBT relationships, said Plaut, who added that many still operate under patriarchal ideas. The key, she said, is to instead look at the pattern of power and control in a relationship. Otherwise, those in the field could be endangering victims by not listening to them or turning them away. 'This could be really dangerous,' Plaut said. 'And two, it's once again having the survivor, the victim, not being listened to, endangering the terms of their physical safety. But it's also dangerous in the sense of one more door has been closed.'
'The goal is that domestic violence will be recognized as a pattern of power and control in an intimate relationship, and there will be resources available to anybody who finds themselves in that situation, and resources to anyone who is exercising that power and control,' continued Plaut. 'And the goal is to break that system of abuse and the cycle of abuse, not trying to figure out what they are doing in the bedroom.'
Plaut said that the LGBT issues committee still lacks Black, Arab, M-F, F-M and male representation. 'That's not OK,' she said.
For more information, call ( 312 ) 750-0730 or visit www.batteredwomensnetwork.org .
LGBT domestic violence resources:
— Center on Halsted, ( 773 ) 871-CARE
— City of Chicago Domestic Violence Help Line, ( 877 ) 863-6338
— Howard Brown Health Center, ( 773 ) 388-8882
— Loop YWCA, ( 888 ) 293-2080
— Friends of Battered Women and Children, ( 800 ) 603-HELP
— Metropolitan Family Services, ( 773 ) 371-3600, ( 773 ) 884-2235
— Sarah's Inn, ( 708 ) 386-4225
